The Reunion by Dan Walsh Read Free Book Online

to a nice big wood deck, right on the river. And the scene there? Well, sometimes it takes my breath away. Besides the beauty of the river, you see all the best things that grow in Florida, just the way God meant them to be seen. And no people around, just you and me.”
    He looked back at Billy. He was smiling a little.
    “And the wildlife,” Aaron continued, “I see all kinds of things back there, especially birds. You’ll see all different ones wading in the water here and there if you’re quiet. Like white egrets and blue herons. Even storks on occasion. Sometimes bald eagles will fly right by, ospreys too. Like your own nature show, except you’re seeing it with your own two eyes. What do you say?”
    “I don’t know,” Billy said. “I’m not sure I’d feel safe riding this thing over water, and I ain’t been an outdoorsy guy, ever since I lost these.” He pointed down.
    Tess walked over to Billy and sat beside him. She leaned up against his wheelchair and rested her head on his thigh. Billy looked down. “Would you look at that?” He patted her on the head.
    “Seems like she’s taken to you.” Aaron looked at his watch. He only had about twenty more minutes. He wasn’t thinking he’d be spending so much time having to talk Billy into this, and he needed to put Tess back up in the trailer. But he could tell Billy was softening up to the idea. “That wood out there is solid, Billy. You’d be as safe as riding on pavement, but I tell you what. We’ll head back and you think on it awhile. I don’t want to force you into doing something you’re not comfortable with. But if you’d like to try it again tomorrow, I’ll take you out there on my lunch break or after I clock out. Will that work?”
    “I think I’d like that better.” He spun his wheelchair around.
    “I understand,” Aaron said. When they got back to the curve in the paved road, they heard a roaring sound up ahead. Aaron looked up to see that souped-up blue Honda racing into the park entrance then fishtailing around the curve leading up to Heather’s trailer.
    It was her no-good boyfriend. Aaron tensed up till he remembered Heather wasn’t home. They walked a little farther, and his heart skipped a beat. “Uh-oh.” Heather was opening the front door of their trailer.
    “What’s the matter?”
    “Heather is home.”
    “Who’s Heather?”
    “Tess’s owner. That boyfriend of hers likes to beat her. I better get a move on it. You’ll be all right if I leave you here?”
    “I’m fine. I know my way back.”
    “Can you keep Tess with you?”
    “Sure. You go on,” Billy said.

10
    A aron did his best, running through the park toward Lot 31. As he neared the trailer, he saw the boyfriend’s car parked at an odd angle. He listened but didn’t hear any yelling. When he caught his breath, he called Sue on the walkie-talkie. “Sue, I’m outside Lot 31. Stay near the phone, will ya? You might have to call 911.”
    “I know,” Sue said. “I saw that blue car whiz by my window. Don’t you keep a pistol in your room? Maybe you better go get it, just in case.”
    “I don’t want to leave here to get it, in case something happens while I’m gone.”
    “Your call, Aaron. Just say the word if you need me to call the cops. But let’s don’t do anything unless you think he might get violent. Don’t want to stir a big mess if they’re just talking. They get loud, you can step in for the park’s sake. Tell them we can’t have them yelling like that around here.”
    “All right, Sue,” he whispered back. He walked a little closer till he was between Ryan’s car and the front door. He heard them talking through the open window.
    “Don’t you tell me what you’re not going to do. You’ll do what I tell you.”
    Aaron understood that. So did anyone else within a hundred yards. Heather said something quiet in reply.
    “The most you’re getting outta me is a few hundred for an abortion. That’s it! I told you, I